Wheelchair fencing seat 'gamechanger' for sport
BBCAn affordable wooden seat aimed at making wheelchair fencing more accessible is a "gamechanger", sport experts have said.
The SwordSeat - created by engineers at the University of Bath - is a six-piece slot-together design that costs £150 to make.
Dr Ed Elias, from the University of Bath, said: "There's not many wheelchair fencers in the country and largely because the clubs can't afford the equipment, which costs up to £15,000."
British Fencing said it was now looking for help to manufacture SwordSeats, which could be rolled out around the world.
Paralympic medallist Piers Gilliver, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, said the seat could boost the number of people taking up the sport, as kit had previously been a big problem.
"For me it was the case of white plastic garden chairs and random school chairs we could find, it's not stable and secure, so it's quite easy to tip over.
"I really would say it [ SwordSeat] is a gamechanger. They say it can be produced on just a single piece of plywood, the plans can be found online so basically anyone can make it, or you can buy it already made," he said.
Currently, only a handful of fencing clubs in the UK have professional wheelchair fencing kits, which cost between £8,000 to £15,000.
"If you have your own day wheelchair you don't necessarily want to use that, your wheelchair may not be set up for that," said Georgina Usher, chief executive of British Fencing.
Dr Elias came up with the idea after noticing someone struggle to set up the "cumbersome equipment".
"With wheelchair fencing, you don't actually move, the chairs don't actually need wheels on them.
"This is a chair but one that is stable for an athletic sport situation, one that is safe and comfortable and one that no one is going to fall out of when they're being really energetic," he said.
The seat was officially launched last week at an event hosted by British Fencing at the Team Bath Sports Village, which is home to the Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre.
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